Of squirrels and boys
~past~
There were two men in the encampment who wouldn't trust Severi further than they could toss him, and that was friar Tuck and Little John, both with widely different reasons. Tuck was convinced Severi was a dark sorcerer, committing witchcraft. How else could one explain the unnatural pregnancy, his skills in healing and the strange power he had over certain people, and not to mention that foul beast of a horse? The child in that creature's womb was nothing less than the devil's child! He preached loudly about wolf's in sheep's clothing, but no one seemed to take interest in his words anymore as the situation back in the village grew more and more desperate by the day.
John Little was a man who had a hard time letting go of the past. Every time he looked into those eyes he saw the bastard who murdered his brother in cold blood. He knew better than to judge a book by its cover, but the memory of Peter grew too strong in his mind for him to let go. He saw the deeds the fairy did for the camp and he saw how the others grew to trust him. But that man also was the cause of all their suffering and pain. It was his fault he had to move the rest of his family out into the woods as well. So far him and Wolf had been the only ones in his family with a price tag above their head, now his whole family was threatened. How could Robin so blindly accept the fact that children were dying because of this man? Evil or not, he still was the cause of the Sheriff's terrible mood, and Little John couldn't see how the life of this man and the child of Robin and Marion he was supposedly carrying was worth the lives of so many. He'd been there the night Robin found out, he watched with his very own eyes as his leader touched the swollen abdomen of the stranger. But could he bring his heart to believe? No.. he didn't think so.
Things had turned from bad to worse back in the village. The Sheriff raised the taxes and made sure people who had no money to give would pay their taxes with blood. All this time Robin had kept quietly inside his wood, except from robbing a tax-cart or two. But he knew he couldn't sit quietly by the side no more. He had to arrange a meeting with the Sheriff and see if they could make out some sort of a deal. As so many times before he sent Will as a messenger. With Marion on the inside, providing him with information Robin knew that the Sheriff was going to intensify his brutal actions towards the villagers during the next couple of days and that he had to make an effort to change things to the better now. But Severi had to be kept in the dark about this as far as that could be done. Sure, the fairy was no ignoramus, he noticed all the maimed and escaping people, but he didn't know HOW severe the situation was becoming, or at least not yet. Robin was afraid the fairy might grow noble on him and run away to sacrifice himself for the sake of mankind. That was out of the question as long as he carried Robin's child! Afterwards... well.. that could be a completely different matter.
Still... Severus' knowledge of flora and fauna was invaluable. His potions, salves and tisanes was incredibly advanced and magical. Likewise his knowledge of anatomy and basic first aids, was convincing many that he, the fairy, was a great healer. This was a role Severus would not want to take, in clear conscience, but he saw how the people were incredible backward. It would keep him in the camps good graces as people probably were suffering for his sake back at the village. And even the horrible, fire breathing dragon known for chewing and spitting out first years would not let suffering go unheeded when lives could be saved or made easier by the application of a few simple potions, poultices and herbal remedies.
Then Severus' professional pride alone made him intervene at what he would see as crass stupidity or ignorance. What he hadn't reckoned was that his actions would be mistaken by the mass as the "the gentle ministrations and caring attentions of the enchanting healer...the faire big with child and love for all children and innocents, whose own tears had cured the blind".
It was obvious to Severus Snape the bard who wrote and was currently serenading the camp with this twaddle had never set eyes on him let alone witnessed any of this.
*-*
But even in the gravest of times there were small glints of light making life easier for the ones in the forest. With the sudden spring the forest was coming back to life again. An abundance of animals were appearing. Plants and wild fruit-bearing trees matured well out of season. In effect the forest was giving access to extra food to its steadily growing population. Severus' had grown accustomed to the calming, low- levelled hum of the trees by now. He felt safe within the embrace of his wooden friends and he could feel the power slowly returning to his aching body. They were healing him, the trees. It was ludicrous, it was idiotic, still he could feel it and he believed it was so.
*-*
Wolf Little was a stubborn boy. When he first decided something he would make it happen. And for the time being his main goal was to become friends with the fairy expecting Marion's and Robin's child. The fairy had a fierce look upon him, but Wolf knew a little about grown-ups. Often the most fierce looking men were the ones most in need of a companion. Thirteen years old he knew his fare share about masks and masquerading. He also knew his father didn't like the fairy, even after Robin had decided everybody in the camp should like him. He didn't show it, he treated Severi with outwards respect, but Wolf knew his father's face was lying. He knew he wanted to rip the fairy apart just for having the same face as his brother's murderer. He knew because of the stern looks his father sent him every time he was talking about the fairy or to the fairy. Sure, he made up excuses like: "Don't bother him, Wolf. He needs his rest.., or he's busy.." Underneath those words the true words crept forward. "I don't want you anywhere near him!"
But Wolf was certain within his heart that Severi was kind and noble, and not at all like his mirror image. And he did his best to become friend with him when his father wasn't watching. But every time he tried, Severi treated him like a child and ushered him away. So Wolf did the next best thing as he waited for Severi to mellow. He became friends with Ronja. She seldom left the tent without the fairy she was so openly protecting, but when she did, Wolf was never further than a few steps away. She had the cutest voice, and her freckled cheeks were apple-red in the surprising spring. Her hair glowed like fire and her dark blue eyes revealed a girl who'd been through much in her short life. Wolf got butterflies in his stomach just watching her.
She told him the stories Severus was now telling her every night for the comfort of them both. She never told him anything about her self, though, and every time he asked she moved the conversation on to another topic. Wolf told her about the gruesomeness going on in the village, certain she wouldn't tell it to the fairy as she too knew the danger of him escaping to try and stop the treatment the villagers were receiving because Severi was in Robin's care. He also told her grand tales about himself and his many adventures as a skilled poacher. He grew tall as a mountain as he told her about his many insane trips to the borders of the wood the Sheriff considered his property, and how he used to escape the Sheriff's men as easily as that. He even promised to try and catch her a red squirrel she could keep as a pet. But there was one downside to this plan. After things had really started to go wrong down in the village and all his sisters and brothers had moved into the camp in the forest together with their mother, John Little had forbidden his son to set foot in the Sherwood Forest as long as he wasn't with him.
One look on that burning copper-hair rushed him to make his decision. His father would be furious with him when he came back, but for once Wolf didn't care. His father might stop him from poaching the Sheriff's deer as long as he wasn't by his side as a chaperon, but this wasn't poaching, was it. He waved softly goodbye to Ronja before he disappeared into the forest, not looking back, and not worrying the least for what dangers that might await him if he disobeyed his father.
The trick with catching a red squirrel was to know where to look. These curious little creatures fed only on hazelnuts and therefore could live only in certain woodland. Wolf knew of a patch of hazel trees where he'd spotted squirrels several times. It was about an hour's walk from the camp and the boy reckoned he would catch a squirrel pretty easily. They were a bit shy, but as soon as you offered it a hazelnut the tiny squirrel would soon forget to be careful.
Wolf was a light-hearted boy, and the promise of Ronja's smile would be more than enough reward for his reckless trip into the forest. He had brought with him two small, hand-sown bags, one for the squirrel and one for hazelnuts. He was going to gather as much nuts as he could lay his hands on, to make certain the little thing wouldn't starve in Ronja's care. A smile lightened his freckle-sprinkled face as he moved slowly upwards the country. He was going to pass the upper part of the wood line in very steep ground to get to the spot where the red squirrels were living. If he was lucky he might find a small one, that just had moved out from the nest. But that wasn't very likely, after all the last couple of weeks with sudden spring wasn't enough for the squirrels to mate, propagate and raise cubs.
*-*
When Ronja returned to Severus' tent she was smiling from ear to ear. Severus noticed the change in the girl's spirit and welcomed it with all his heart. The past weeks she'd shown him all the trust and care his heart was longing for, and during these days of receiving instead of giving he'd grown to cherish her simple way and soul. She had come to be as dear to him as he'd grown dear to her. They made a very odd couple, and no one could point a finger at what made the girl stick up for the fairy the way she did. She never called him master, and he showed no signs of having power over her in any way. Still they stuck together, like a mouse and a cat not knowing why they shouldn't be together.
"You look happy today, Ronja," Severus said as she sat down beside him, glowing as only a fourteen year old girl can glow. Without even realising he ran slender fingers over her hair and watched how it shone red as a Weasley.
She looked up at him and her smile stayed on her young face, the skinny bag of bones with rags for clothes disappeared and the blossoming woman peeped out.
"I'm just happy, that's all." Her whisper of a voice had silver bells today, and there wasn't any doubt in Severus' mind- the girl was starting to fall in love. He'd seen how the boy named Wolf followed her like a shadow whenever she was out of the tent. At first he thought the boy was trying to bribe his way into the tent to see the ridiculous fairy with the big belly, but when he looked closer he could see all the signs of a fragile romance growing between the two. He had often wondered how it would feel.. to be loved. He'd never experienced to be loved for the person he was by others than his mother before she died ... and Albus. But Albus' love was only a sort of fatherly love, probably brought on by pity for the orphaned death eater. What would it be like to feel the love of a woman, the way Robin was caressed with Marion's heart? How he envied the two and the love they were sharing. He knew how rare it was just watching the two together.
"Does this happiness have a name?" Severus couldn't help himself but to tease her a little bit. Her cheeks went red in an instant:
"What do you mean?" she asked innocently as she started to braid parts of Severus' hair. He chuckled and decided to let it rest. When she felt comfortable she would tell him of her newly discovered feelings, she just needed some time. He leaned back and let Ronja continue braiding small braids into his hair, feeling as contempt as he could given all the circumstances. On the outside of the tent John Little trampled by while he was yelling for his son to take care of the horses.
"WOLF! Come do your shores, NOW!" the shout bellowed through the camp like a tidal wave. Ronja suddenly got a worried look on her face.
"Ronja, do you know anything about your little friend's disappearing?" Severus asked, kindly. Guilt painted her eyes as she tossed her gaze downward towards the ground. "Maybe," she whispered, folding her fingers into her lap, as if she was worried someone would start hitting her for being disobedient.
"Ronja, I'm not mad at you. And I won't be either. Just tell me where Wolf is to be found so that I can go outside and calm his father down," Severus told her and lifted her chin with a careful finger. Dark blue eyes stared at him for a moment, searching for safety, then the answer finally came.
"He's out in the woods, looking for a red squirrel for me. He went a while ago.. told me he would be back before nightfall." This was bad. Severus knew all children had been forbidden to take one step out of the encampment, probably because of the many search-parties the Sheriff was sending through the forest looking for his pet. The sight of the little girl that had been tossed down into the pig pens still haunted him, although he still knew nothing of all the children that hadn't escaped with their life intact. He headed for the exit as fast as he could crawl with his ever-growing stomach, (what was it now.. seven months and a week or two?) and got to his feet on the outside.
Little-John was standing in the middle of the camp, shouting. His face was starting to redden with anger, a seldom sight on this normally calm man.
"Wolf! I don't have time to play hide and seek, the horses need their food NOW!"
"I think I know where your son might be heading." He was nearly out of breath on the short run towards the giant man. John turned towards him and the normal hidden disgust awoke in his eyes as Severus came closer.
"You do? Then where is he?"
"Ronja told me he was going out into the woods to catch her a red squirrel and that he told her he would be back before nightfall." Severus answered, trying hard not to pant too loud. Little John shook his head.
"Wolf wouldn't go into the forest without me, he knows he isn't allowed to wander off in these perilous times."
"With all respect, I think you are wrong this time!" Severus punctuated: "Boy's are thoughtless creatures and when something comes them to mind they won't stop until they have it done. Believe me, I have first hand experience with boys that age." The big man looked at him and did little to hide his building anger, now aimed at the smaller man in front of him.
"Are YOU telling me I don't know my own son?!" Both fists were planted sternly at his side making him look even bigger. Severus had to step carefully unless he wanted the wrath of a man almost as tall as Hagrid coming down on him.
"No, I'm just telling you.. a boy at his age have a tendency not to think things through thoroughly before he sets his plans into action. I reckon Wolf's inner voice told him not to go out into the woods alone, but his urge to get the squirrel Ronja wanted was speaking the loudest. The boy is so evidently falling in love with the girl, I'm surprised you haven't noticed." Little John's face was slowly paling.
"After all the times I've told him..." he muttered through clenched teeth and darted towards his tent to collect his bow and sword. Severus wobbled after him, persistent to help the bigger man seek for his son. John stopped the second he realised he'd got a tail.
"Where do you think you're going!" he spat. He didn't want to hurt this man in any way, but he couldn't help the open hostility the fairy's face brought to his soul. He'd tried to kill him once and even defended him, and he knew he, if he would have to, would defend him again, as long as the fairy was under Robin's care. But there was no law forcing him to like this man. And there sure as hell was no point having his overweight ass slowing him down through the forest.
"I'm coming along to help you look!" Severus spat back. He was no patient man, but he was stubborn as hell and this was something he'd decided to do, for Ronja's sake.
"No, you're not! You're only going to waste me precious time!" John answered and started walking again, only to be followed still by the supposedly pregnant fairy. He stopped once more, now starting to get agitated.
"Didn't you hear me?? You're staying here! You should have enough children's life's on your conscience without adding my son to the list!" He shoved him away and started walking again. The fairy froze to the spot.
"What do you mean?" It was a shivering question, a question filled with so much fear Little John never would forget it the rest of his days. And when he turned to see, see those eyes filled with endless worry and fear, he was finally starting to get to know the real Severi, the fairy from the land beyond. No one could fake that, there was real concern bathing his features, making him look vulnerable as an infant.
"Nothing... I meant nothing!" he hastily mumbled: "Are you coming or not!"
*-*
Severus was slowly starting to regret his own damned stubbornness. Little John had been right all along, he was only slowing him down. He wasn't able to run, even walking was very uncomfortable, and the taller man had to stop and wait for him by every hundred meters walked. After half an hour Severus finally admitted defeat in the slowly rising terrain.
"Go ahead, I'm only slowing you down. You'll have an easier time finding your son if you don't wait for me all the time," he panted as he massaged a sore rib. John Little gave him a stern look that mellowed slowly and he patted the fairy's shoulder with a large palm.
"Wolf is a grown boy, skilled and talented as an escape artist already. I have no fear he will end up in the claws of the Sheriff. But I've told him not to go out into the forest on his own, and he should know better than to disobey his father's demand. I want to find him as quick as possible to assure my self he is safe and unharmed, yes- but I'm not in a hurry." He was lying. All of his instincts told him to run, run and find his son and protect him from all the evil this forest could hide. Both men knew it.
"I'll try to hurry, but promise me you won't wait for me!" Little John nodded slowly and they started walking again. He was moving away from the burdened wizard with every step and soon he disappeared completely from the wizard's view. Severus braced himself and let the heartbeat of the forest lead him in the direction it told him to move. He hadn't noticed their voices while he was walking together with Little John, now he could hear them, calling him forwards, showing him the way. He was worried he would collapse before he could find the boy, but he was no longer afraid he might get lost on his own. The trees were watching him, and they knew where the boy was headed. He could have called out for Little John, told him he knew where his son was headed, but he was afraid the voices of the wood would get lost again if he did so. Besides, he seriously doubted the man would believe him if he told him he could hear the united voice of the forest..
On and on, upwards, upwards the voice called him. Severus walked as fast as his feet could carry him, strengthened by the calm hum from the many trees surrounding him.
He had no idea of how long he'd been walking by himself when a sudden whoosh of warning flew through the leaves of the treetops. Severus' heart tightened. Wolf was in danger! He quickened his pace, accelerated by the sudden urge to find the boy, quickly. Something very bad was going to happen if he didn't get to him fast! He choked the cries wanting to rush out of his mouth. It wasn't wise, he didn't know what danger the boy was facing. Calling for him might kill him as well as save his life. He passed what resembled a cave on his way up the steep terrain, could it be.. Bears were long time extinct in England in the time period of where Severus originated, but in the dark ages bears still were roaming around the island, although their kind grew more and more rare by the day. There was a track leading from the den. Severus wasn't familiar with the marks animals left, but he knew enough to decide these ones descended from a large mammal. Around him the whoosh from the treetops grew louder, more fierce. What awaited him on the top of this hill?
The early spring had tempted a large she bear and her two cubs to cut their winter slumber short this year. The forest was already heavy with all the food a bear could desire, and therefore the mama bear had decided to welcome the abundance of food and sunlight. Her cubs had been playing on an open field, surrounded with hazelnut trees, while she'd been resting in the shadows. She hadn't noticed the human cub at first. It was climbing in the trees and with the wind blowing in the other direction she hadn't got the scent of him until he came down from the trees. One of her cubs cried out in fright as the human cub closed in on it and all the maternal instincts in the she bear awoke with a roar as she ran towards the threat to her cubs.
Severus reached the top of the climb, out of breath and completely exhausted. He was met with a sight that terrified the experienced wizard. In the middle of the field stood Wolf Little, apparently frozen to the spot, while a huge she bear was coming at him with the fierceness of a steam train. And just as the bear started to run towards the boy, his father appeared in front of the trees on the other side of the clearing. He'd gone round the other way and was now a helpless witness as the raging bear charged straight for his son. He might have time to send away an arrow before a deadly strong paw would rip his son apart. But Little John wasn't as skilled with the bow as Robin Hood and if he were to kill a bear this size immediately he had to hit it straight through its heart. He screamed, trying to get the she bear's attention away from his son, knowing only too well he would never get there in time to sacrifice himself for the sake of his son.
Even at the long distance between them Severus could see the fear in the father's eyes, as he seemed to be forced to watch his eldest son to die. He could feel the desperation all around, it pulsated through him as he tossed himself forward doing what he knew in his heart was impossible
Not all magic is made by the flick of a wand and uttering of spells and curses. There is a kind of magic created by mere panic or anger, the feeling of mortal danger can make a young wizard get rid of that danger without even thinking it. But when you grow older this skill slowly fades until you are solely dependent on your wand and magic words. Only a few grown wizards and witches can do magic without their wands. They still need the "magic words" though and they are left almost drained of energy after the casting. Therefore you seldom see a wizard or witch without a wand no matter how skilled he or she is...
"Somnus!" His voice grew tall as all his will was bent around the spell to force it out of his mere hands. A sharp bolt of pain jolted through his body as a shimmering green light flew out of the tips of his fingers. The spell hit the bear in the chest, a moment before it would have caused a young boy's early death. With a confused roar it lost control over its legs, and seconds later it plummeted down to the ground, already fast asleep. It was a simple spell, not powerful in any way. An easy sleeping spell, the baby-brother of the far stronger "sopor-curse" that was the cause of a certain princess' hundred years old slumber. The bear would sleep for an hour or two before it would awake, a tad confused of what the hell had happened, but unhurt.
Severus' knees slowly started to sag and he too rushed towards the ground, completely drained. His body was aching in every nerve and every cell within his body. It wasn't possible. He wasn't strong enough to commit the simplest charm. Still he'd managed to do the impossible somehow, still his body had provided the immense force of power needed to do magic without his wand. He knew all along he might die if he should succeed in doing this. He could blow both his heart and some of the blood vessels in his brain even if he tried and didn't succeed. He could feel the infant in his abdomen kicking franticly, and he knew he could have killed the Sheriff's offspring too.
Half blinded he could see John Little rush towards his son, now crying hysterically, and sweep him up from the ground in one gigantic hug. Pure relief in his sobs as he searched his son for any kind of scratch or tear and ended up with an unharmed son.
The hum around him tried to calm his adrenaline-flowing blood, but before he fainted Severus managed to give a prayer for the sake of the she bear.
"Please.. don't.. kill it... It was only... defending its... young.. Like any.. good.. mother." Severus Snape, the Alchemist and Potions Master finally gave in to the dark.
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